A chance for young guns to get on board with exciting Tudors Academy project

Adam Hull

Hemel Hempstead Town FC will be holding a mini tournament on Sunday which will act as a trial for next season’s eagerly-anticipated Community Education Programme.

The two-year academy programme will provide youngsters with youth team football under the guidance of Tudors first team manager Dean Brennan and members of the first team squad, as well as the chance to gain a BTech qualification in sports science.

We want to make the academy the heartbeat of what we do at this football club.

Hemel Hempstead Town FC director of football Steve Boone

“We’ve got 14 or 15 lads signed up so far which has been a good effort from everyone involved in a few open evenings that we have held,” said Hemel Town FC director of football Steve Boone.

“We have got some more activities planned, including a free-to-enter mini tournament coming up on Sunday when we will be looking at some more players.

“There will be some of the first team players there on the day and they will be getting involved and handing out some trophies afterwards.

“It will also give the lads who have already signed up a chance to come and play in a non-pressure environment and to just enjoy being a part of the club.”

The academy kicks-off in September, and Boone is hoping that this will be the start of something big for the club.

“We are looking at other recruitment avenues, but the fact that there are other clubs on our doorstep who are playing in a higher division than ourselves means that then have three or four hundred trialists.

“The fact is, that they won’t be able to sign them all so there might be some lads who eventually come on board with the Hemel project and experience what it is like at our football club.

“So we are happy with the way things have gone and we are feeling positive. We have got some very talented lads and some bright academic lads as well.

“We want to make the academy the heartbeat of what we do at this football club, so we are really looking forward to getting it up and running.”

To find out more about the recruitment tournament on Sunday, which takes place on the 3G pitches at Vauxhall Road, please contact Boone on steveaboone@gmail.com to register your interest. Any Year 11 students who aim to achieve four GCSE A-C grades in May are welcome to attend